I just did a nice hike up a hill and back, but I didn't drive to the spot to go hiking. I sailed there! Using my trusty Hobie 16, named the Smurf Scoter, (named after the bird the Surf Scoter, and also my previous Honda Civic, the Smurf Rocket) I sailed over to Lummi Island. I had my friend Teague and my brother Abe, and we took off into the grey breezy day with some chop. We got a bit splashed initially, and then we were kinda chilly by the time we arrived at the south end of Lummi Island two hours later. We beached the boat on a rocky (and low tide) beach, and then had to push and pull and drag the boat up to the high tide line, since we were going to leave it there for a while. We used the sails to help push, and laid down some logs to slide the boat over, and got it up.
Then it was time for a snack and changing into hiking clothes, and off we went.
Abe and I had previously explored the south end a little before, but by Canoe, and this time we wanted to go further up the hill. The west (or southwest) side of the island is drier and steeper, and has a lot of bald areas, so we stayed on that side.
Along the way I found some Goldback Fern, which I really like. It grows in dry areas and looks like a mini bracken fern, except it has gold on the bottom of the leaves. Probably not really gold though. I don't think Gold (Au) is used in biological systems except for teeth.
I also found a dark eyed Junco nest, with three little eggs in it. a cozy little hollow in the succulents.
We hiked up a ways, then I flopped down on some grass and took a bit of a nap before heading downhill. It was a good hike, and then on the sail back we had nice speed, and made it back quickly.
From Eliza Island to the Post point bouy is 3.9 NM, and we did that distance in 31 minutes, so an average of 7.5 kts. We sped up about double during the trip back, from maybe 5 kts in the beginning to about 10 or 12 at the end.
I've been trying to sell the Smurf Scoter, but doing trips like this makes me want to keep it, but in between these trips it sits quietly on the trailer out at Abe's house. It seems to survive the waiting just fine, except the trailer is always in need of repair. I've got about another week in Bellingham before I start the Alaska season, and I'm really looking forward to it.
I've been working on limited internet for a while now, so I didn't get this out, but there's a few cool shots from underwater.
This season was pretty good for me, I broke a lot of things and I've started spending more money on the boat that ever before.
I came back to the boat after a very successful summer, and then spent some money on a "new" 3di mainsail. Shortly after getting that sail, probably during the race up to punta mita, I think I must have eased the sail a bit too much while the first reef point was in, because the hole was where the top spreader would hit the sail when reefed. That, coupled with the immense fragility of the sail, and I put a break in the carbon fibers, which resulted in a big tear. Then the I got that fixed, after a few months of waiting for someone to fix it and not, I took it to another shop, and that cost some more, then I put a bit of pressure on the sail while sailing to Socorro, and it blew up. Finally I was ready to give up on 3di sails. Or at least not brand new ones. So all told, that was 2500 + 3400 (recut) + 400 shipping + 750 shipping to mexico + 1300 fixing. that is About 8500 bucks. So a mistake that is more than the cost of Altair.
Secondly, I tore up my Code 0, and then got that fixed, so another 500. And then I put a tear in my trusty 3di Jib! The wonderful sail that I've trusted and pushed hard and is really great and awesome is showing her age. I hope to get another season, but I needed a replacement. I got it fixed for another 500.
I also hauled the boat out and put new bottom paint on in November. It wasn't too expensive, but mostly because I had already bought the paint and i did the work myself. 1200, plus 200 in paint (the best deal I've ever had for bottom paint)
I decided to try and fix my sun-faded NKE screens, but ended up breaking them more. It was a heartbreaking thing, because I had fixed them really well in the evening, and then overnight as the air cooled off the new sticky polarizing film that I had stuck to the back of the liquid crystal glass expanded or contracted more than the glass and that caused a stress which broke the glass, so now the screens are worse than before. If its broken, don't fix it, I guess. If its not totally broken... I'm not sure. So I had been hunting for new NKE screens, but they are hard to come by, because they are out of production. the new ones, which are slightly bigger (and mine are in a recessed spot, so I can't easily just upgrade) are 2200 bucks. But finally I found one online for 600! Its at mom's place now so I hope to get it down here next fall and be back in good screens again.
Of course, I hit a rock at Socorro, and scuffed my nice bottom paint. I feel pretty good about the structure of the boat, but next fall I will haul out and pull the keel and check it out. Also I'll paint again.
I put 750 bucks into a stainless steel beam for the back of the solar panel rack, and it replaces the wood that I had that looked pretty janky. Next up is the hammock across the back...
And after lots of bigger trips this year, I found out that the boat makes plenty of power during the day for everything, but at night I want some more electricity. I got a cheap honda generator, but I don't really like it, so I found a Watt and Sea Hydrogenerator on Ebay and managed to get it for 1750, but then I just got a message saying that it doesn't spin, so they are going to warranty the spinning bearing and then let me know after that. So they gave me my money back.
Then more recently I blew up my A2 spinnaker, the big one, the whomper. Its a great sail and I was using it happily, and feeling fine about it (I thought I could take it to 28 kts) and it blew up at about 25 kts true, and maybe 15 kts of apparent wind. So I need a tougher big sail. I think I want the same shape but slightly heavier cloth. I thnk it will cost about 1200 to fix it, and a used one should be about 2500, if I can find the right one. But there is a fantastic sail in france from the boat IBSA which is for sail for 4000 euros.
I tore a hole in my "mainjib" on the trip north to Isla Isabel a few weeks ago. It was a free sail, but still I liked it. It was also a laminate sail, and they hate being warm, so as it is warm down here now (hot even) those kinds of sails just fall apart. I need to not have them anymore.
I have also ordered a new Mainsail and a new Jib. The main was about 4500 and the jib was 3000, so not too expensive, and I just got the jib here, the main will arrive in a few days (just after I leave).
Now I'm putting the boat away for the summer and trying to keep everything cool and shaded, and its not easy.
